A Place to Call Home
by Dreamer852
Summary: Because you need a family, blood related or not. This guild holds a special bond, created by the master. And all in all, one day, everyone comes to love it. Join the adventures of unknown guilds, all the way across to other side of the world from Fiore.
1. FINAL LIST

**HEY READERS OF 'A PLACE TO CALL HOME'**

**!-SHOUT OUT TO HalcyonNight AND HIS STORY 'Crystallux' YOU SHOULD READ IT :D-!****  
**

_**I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS SUBMITTED OC'S AND ALL POSITIONS ARE FILLED (maybe :P)**_

OC LIST: (one's in bold are the recently submitted)

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Imogen- Insight mage, Guild Master of Rising Willows by Dreamer852

Jun Ambross- Reflector/Light mage of Rising Willows by reven228

Ren- Take over/caster-type S-class mage of Rising Willows by visceraEffect

Kyo- Holder (rings) S-class mage of Rising Willows by visceraEffect

Florence Lancaster-Lightning mage of Rising Willows by Queen JJ

Antonio Rodrigues- Fire Dragon Slayer of Rising Willows by crankiestnebula

Vlad Natheniel Diaz- Necromatic mage of Rising Willows by fallout-boy97

Elizabeth- Holy-magic mage of Rising Willows by fallout-boy97

Valex Fang- Poison Dragon Slayer, S-class of Rising Willows by DoTheBartMan

Keylian Everdark-Flame dragon slayer, S-class of Rising Willows by Stormhawk99

Zhaylt Isshnal-Nature Dragon slayer, S-class of Rising Willows by SuperVegetaSSJ2

Uriel- Athletic mage of Rising Willows by Dreamer852

Roux Ard- Storm (natural disaster) mage of Rising Willows by Dreamer852

Seirei no Merodi- Demon summoner of Rising Willows by Gemini-princess

Maisie Heart- Ice/Snow mage and Nyxie (Tiger) of Rising Willows by Faithful5

Iris Winter- Ice mage of Tomb by Story telling-talent fairy

Shuu Jakuzure- SoulWeaver/Ice Devil Slayer mage of Rising Willows by Shallotte

* * *

Funbo Haka- Death and Demon Eye mage, Guild Master of Tomb by Derpy Turtle

Yin- Dissipation mage of Tomb by reven228

Clover- Lighthealer mage of Tomb by visceraEffect

Raiden Akinori- Shadow God Slayer, S-class of Tomb by Derpy Turtle

Helth- Cosmic mage of Tomb by fallout-boy97

Kellan Westmore- Nova Dragon Slayer of Tomb by LinkMaster997

Eki Rikiddo- Water God slayer, S-class by Derpy Turtle

Bluebell Makyuri- Galaxy mage of Tomb by Derpy Turtle

Jonah Akashin- Lost Soul mage of Tomb by Derpy Turtle

Snow Midford- Ice Dragon Slayer of Tomb by xoxo-vanilla

Hozanna Vespirea- Doll (holder type) mage of Tomb by Hilinarema

Carmyn Killakill- Light Dragon Slayer of Tomb by Carmyn

Sonya- Binder/Dance mage of Tomb by petit vanille

Satsuki Nanami- Requip mage of Tomb by Shallotte

Sinclair 'The Specter'- Illusion/hypnosis mage of Tomb by The Baz

Trapis Sinshul- Berserker mage of Tomb by The Baz

* * *

Dito Faylan, Necromatic/Cryptic mage, Guild Master of Justice Blaze by Shallotte

Dr. Samuel Hammersmith- Mechanical Transformation mage, S-class of Justice Blaze by Old bones Jenkins

Kairen- Electric mage of Justice Blaze by visceraEffect

Pierce- Heatwave mage of Justic Blaze by visceraEffect

Aelstera Brynhildr- Bullet and Gravity change mage of Justice Blaze by visceraEffect

Ryuga Haruya- Dark Fire Dragon Slayer of Justice Blaze by mohdhatem .wafiuddin

Elly Zim Callista- Tae Kwon Doe mage of Justice Blaze by mohdhatem .wafiuddin

Jura Rengeki- Assassin mage of Justice Blaze by mohdhatem .wafiuddin

Faith Trigon- Glass mage of Justice Blaze by Dreamer852

Storm Kaze-Wind mage, S-class of Justice Blaze by PrinceOfTheMatrix88

Styles Kaizu-Blood mage of Justice Blaze by SaiyaStyles

Kimi Kaizu- Black magic mage of Justice Blaze by SaiyaStyles

Cloud Majistar- Water Dragon Slayer of Justice Blaze by Flame King Roxas

Lanius Miericordia- Archangel mage, S-class of Justice Blaze by Old bones Jenkins

* * *

_IF I HAVE MISSED ANYTHING (E.G FORGOTTEN TO MENTION YOU'RE AN S-CLASS MAGE OR I HAVE TYPED YOUR NAME WRONG) TELL ME!_

_**I know most of you want your OC to be seen most, so you submit them for the main guild, but I'm planning to make sure that all three guilds have equal 'showtime' even if the first chapter only mentions mages of Rising Willows.  
THANKYOUUU**_


	2. FAMILY

**_HELLO and welcome to 'A Place to Call Home'_  
_Thanks to everyone who submitted an OC (credits are on the list on the first page) and you guys all submitted so quickly I got this up within less than a week! AMAZING!_**

**Hope you like this chapter, and I hope I've captured the essence of each character in this chapter, I haven't loaded EVERYTHING about the character into a paragraph, just briefly who they are, personally, it's kinda awkward when you have this massive chunk of paragraph about everything that someone is wearing or whatever XD. You'll get to know more about them in later chapters! (maybe some weren't described or seen as much as others… sorry T.T) (:**

**('Risers' is the nickname the guild has e.g Fairy Tail are 'Fairies'.)**

**P.S- no one's magic is really explained in this chapter, there's plenty of time for that later :D**

* * *

FAMILY – RISING WILLOWS

* * *

A small girl ran around the guild, her curly white pigtails flying behind her. She seemed to be at the age of maybe seven or eight, but although the 'baby sister' of the guild, she was actually twelve. A white tiger with gold eyes ran alongside her, purring slightly as the black ribbons from the girl's hair brushed against her fur.

"Maisie…" someone called tiredly, dragging his feet to 'catch up' to her.

The girl sent him a watery look, her eyes flashing different shades of blue as his eyes snapped open from **hypnosis**.

"Okay. I'll play tiggy with you." He said almost robotically, but inside, he was mentally sighing.

The guild was actually quite peaceful, almost everyone was at the guild and they all lounged around, doing their own thing.

Iris stood in the corner, crossing her arms around her rather embarrassingly large chest. She seemed a little closed off as usual, being her shy self. The soft layers of her silver skirt rippled as she shifted her position. Her eyes flicked toward the doors as they slowly creaked open, although no one else had heard, as they were immersed in their activities. She softly blew up wards, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"Master!" someone called out, three sets of footsteps walked in. A white haired girl was revealed her hair tied up artistically to frame her face and her usual dark yellow scarf was wrapped around her neck, billowing in the wind. Next to her, stood a man, warm purple eyes peered through at the guild members. His arms were crossed over his black vest, one bandaged forearm supporting the other. Both members walked into the centre of the guild, a smile of accomplishment pasted to their face… though… since when did you ever _not_ see the pair smiling?

The guild went into a hushed silence as they all looked on curiously. Over at the side of the guild, a teal haired man smirked, his brotherly instincts kicking in.

The door to Imogen's office flung open and the said girl walked out, her small legs taking small steps. She stood there in all her glory. Light green hair and cerulean eyes. She was the founder – the first Guild Master of Rising Willows– and nobody had ever suspected, that this master, was only fifteen. Until they met her.

"Ren, Kyo, welcome back. You called?" she asked, her childish voice was laced with seriousness.

"Another. We found her were you said we would. She's a brave one." The older boy – Kyo gracefully stepped aside. Despite his feminine appearance, he was no man to mess with. She was all tattered and bruised, but what caught the master's eye most, was the haunted look in her eyes.

Imogen took a step forward, and the girl's eyes softened. She felt calm, secure, like she could trust this place. She looked around the guild curiously, taking it its homey appearance before setting her sights back on the small girl in front of her. Taking a deep breath, Imogen's eyes flashed gold for mere seconds before fading away to their natural colour.

She was 'checking her out' she realised. She could feel her magic presence, but it was faint, unlike other people she'd met before. She let out a breath as she spoke.

"I'm Imogen, an insight mage. Also the master of Rising Willows. I see everything and anything." She stuck out her hand, her face wearing a broad grin of delight, "Welcome home, Uriel. I'm your new sister."

"H-how did you know my name?" the girl stuttered, suddenly cowering behind Kyo, at which Ren's face drooped into a frown.

"Remember… everything and anything." Imogen winked and tapped her nose, "So, I'm guessing charcoal black on the inside of your wrist?"

She pointed her finger at her, the tip of it glowing as Uriel felt a tingle. Looking down at her left wrist, her found her new guild mark there, charcoal black… just to match her hair. Perfect.

"Risers. You know what to do. Ren, the company called and they need you for a photo shoot. Kyo, make sure you guys are safe. I'm also looking forward to your next chapter of your story." The two that had just arrived nodded and bid farewell once again. They had their job to do, and now the guild had theirs. To welcome and accept.

Everyone started cheering for the girl. Uriel looked uncomfortable for moments, not sure how to take in all the attention… but a smile broke out onto her lips and her face contorted into an uncontrollable, cheesy grin.

"I-it's good to be home?" she said, asking it as more of a question. Fortunately, her words only caused the guild to cheer even louder. For once in her life, she got something that she'd always been dreaming of; acceptance.

* * *

Imogen finally managed to finish off the paper work… it wasn't an easy task, due to the fact the guild had just opened mere months ago. Leaving her office, she was welcomed with the sight of a wild guild, partying and welcoming Uriel. She was a great addition to their small family.

Seirei stood on the bar table, smiling happily and singing as entertainment, her dark navy blue eyes wide and buzzing with excitement.

People were dancing around on tables to her singing, laughing and slopping singing along with her, whereas others were more refined, and sat around in small groups, chattering and stealing each-others food.

Imogen smiled as she walked towards the kitchen, the guild was new, and quite small, so they had yet to find a bar maid.

Hopping onto a stool to reach up and grab a drink, she heard a small rustle. She sighed.

"Jun, you know you can't hide from me, even with your **invisibility**. And how many times have I told you to stop eating all the seafood supplies we have?" Imogen rolled her eyes.

Sheepish albino red eyes peeked out from the shadows as a soft glow flashed then faded to see the man. His 'deer in headlights' look disappeared as a cheeky grin was replaced.

"Nice underwear." He chuckled peeking under the pale blue dress Imogen wore with a gold bow.

"H-hey!" she held her dress down and jumped off the stool, "Get out!" she flushed, embarrassed.

"No matter what, you're still a kid." He ruffled her hair.

"Shut up Jun!"

"I mean, look at those breasts..." he bent down so he was eye level with her chest area.

"Jun…" she said angrily, she was shaking furiously and was fighting back the urge to scream and possibly shatter all the windows of the guild.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, still looking for any traits of puberty.

"YOU PERVERT!" she yelled as her arm struck out and he was blasted into the guild hall, his light grey hair whipping around his face as he flew straight into…

"Ow, ow, ow..." Seirei tried to lift herself out from underneath the pale skinned boy, she hit him in the chest, "Would you get off me!? You fat pig!"

Iris came over and pulled Jun off Seirei, helping her up and dusting her off.

"You okay?" she mumbled shyly.

"Yeah!" the pumped up girl spoke, as her voice suddenly rose and she pulled out a gun with a demonic grin on her face, "JUN!"

The boy's eyes widened and he ran away quickly, sneaking quick looks as Seirei's bouncing curves. While not looking ahead, he crashed into someone he really shouldn't have.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" a deep voice yelled, striking green eyes flashing.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? HUH? Kanga_Roux?_" Jun stood up and clenched his fists.

"WANT ME TO BEAT YOU INTO A PULP _April_?" Roux held back a wince at his 'nickname'.

"I THINK THAT'S MY LINE YOU'RE STEALING." By now, the guild were cheering 'fight, fight, fight' while Uriel looked on incredulously at the scene unfolding before her.

"AT LEAST I'M NOT AN ANIMAL!" Jun continued.

"I'M NOT THE ONE WITH A CALENDAR MONTH FOR HIS NAME." Roux sneered back.

The two clenched each-others shirts, Jun grabbing his rival's forest green button up, and Roux's hand reached up to snake around the collar of Jun's navy blue zip up.

"You're on." The two snarled at the same time, aiming their fists at each other.

"STOP!" a voice screamed, if not ear splitting. A body suddenly appeared between the two, "No fighting. Aren't we family?" The new member yelled, looking up with big, blazing blue eyes and a small frown. Her black cloak drifted down from mid-flight to rest on her back again.

Whispers erupted around the guild. "How did she do that?" "I don't know, you ask." "But Master gave orders to bring her here, so she must be worthy." "Just ask anyway." "No way, you." "Jeez. Fine."

"Hey, kid –"

"It's Uriel." Her eyes flashed.

"Whatever." Keylian was a man who had trouble choosing his words. His charcoal vest remained unzipped and his white pants pooled slightly at his ankles due to its bagginess. "What magic do ya have?"

"Umm… uh, it's athletic magic." She said, sounding unsure of herself. Her head pounded slightly, making her wince a little.

Roux's eyes glared, causing Uriel to flinch, "But that's lost magic."

The charcoal haired girl shuffled away, opening her mouth to say something, but was cut off when the guild doors opened again.

"I, the Queen of Lighting Storms, am home!" a girl burst through the door, her dark brown curls and royal blue feathered earring bouncing along with her movement. There was a friendly smile on her face which grew wider when she spotted someone.

"Welcome home, Florence." Antonio stepped forward scratching his cheek shyly. The boy had broad shoulders and noticeable muscles showing through his plain red t-shirt, although not the biggest.

"Ugh… the love birds have been reunited." Jun rolled his eyes in a joking manner.

"At least I have someone. Pervert." Florence retorted, walking past him and bashing him in the forehead with a well-aimed fist. Jun's hair frizzed up from the electric currents Florence sent and let's just say, he looked pretty frazzled. From behind, Antonio followed Florence and glared at Jun, who smiled back cheekily in return.

That cheeky smile was wiped off his face when a fully black and silver clothed figure leapt forward and kicked him in the face. Everyone looked over to see Vlad, the quiet one of the guild.

"Yes... Pervert." He hissed quietly. His wolf ears twitched and his cat tail wavered behind him, swishing away any oncoming bugs.

"Hey." Jun frowned, only to get punched in the face again.

"I can't even begin to count how many times you've been hit or punched in the last two minutes. Stop being a pervert, it's not good." A strong, powerful aura arrived into the conversation. A man, cloaked in almost all green looked up from a small book. He was seated in a chair a few meters away, but the suggestive title of the book said otherwise about what he'd said to Jun.

A fist was aimed his way, and he went to dodge it with ease, only to find that his book was taken away from the safety of his hands.

Vlad scanned the first line quickly, his face glowing red and his purple right eye and baby-blue left remained unblinking as his slowly, agonisingly tore up the erotic book Zhaylt had been reading, all the while muttering 'pervert' over and over quietly.

Let just say, Zhaylt wasn't happy. It took him ten days to find that book. Ten. Days.

There was a bright glow and a sword suddenly appeared in his hand and he looked up furiously, his one blue eye - that remained uncovered by his mask - glowing in anger.

Everyone peered at the two standing there. Who would win? The Necromancer? Or the Nature Dragon Slayer? It was pretty much going to be a battle of Death vs. Life. This was something interesting you wouldn't see everyday.

Sadly, to the guilds anticipating dismay, all the magic energy disappeared when Imogen walked out and neutralised it all. A stern look on her face changed their thoughts as they all walked towards her, knowing something important was going on.

"No fighting in my guild. It's new. The paintwork is new, the walls are new, the tables and chairs are new. EV-ER-Y-THING is _new_." She glared, sending shivers down a few members' spines, "Anyway. Tomb. The dark guild. They're planning something. It's only a matter of time. It's sudden, I know, but they're a dark guild, so it's no surprise."

"Another vision?" Keylian asked, chugging down the rest of his sake.

Imogen nodded, eyes flashing gold back to cerulean again, "I've already called Ren and Kyo back, and they said they won't be here for maybe another half an hour. But Zhaylt, Vlad. I want research, you'll probably find some in the Higgour Dark Forest. Be back in 24 hours. Good luck." The master looked at the two that were at each-others' throats just seconds ago in turn.

Zhaylt was their best researcher and Vlad was the perfect person to connect with anyone that had been deceased within the forest grounds. Although their teamwork wasn't great, their talents would come in handy.

The two sighed and stood up, glaring at each other.

"Don't get in my way." Zhaylt gave the ladder a hard look.

"Don't get in _my_ way." Vlad said back, equally rivaling Zhaylt's look.

"Wait." she quickly called before they left, "Uriel, go with them, I need you to find a few route through the are without being seen. Oh and... keep an eye one them."

The braided girl smiled and skipped after the two fighting boys.

Sighing, Imogen turned back to the rest of the group, "Antonio, Florence I need you to find Justice Blaze and tell them to come join us for this mission. Don't just tell them. _Convince_ them. I know you two can do it. Keylian and Iris, go with them until you reach the edge of town. We're going to need some medicinal supplies. And Iris" Imogen beckoned her closer and whispered something in her ear, the pulled away from one another with small smiles on their face.

The four stood up and left, making the group smaller – yet again.

"Seirei, we need you to help us spy on Tomb." Imogen called. There was a moment of silence, waiting for her answer. But when there was no reply, everyone looked over at Seirei – who was pretty much hibernating as usual.

Her hair kept getting blown away from her face as she let out soft breaths and the heart printed on her grey t-shirt was rising and falling, as if showing that it was beating.

"Actually… never mind. We'll wake her up later." Imogen nodded and everyone turned back to face her.

The angelic blonde kept sleeping peacefully, seemingly have a nice dream by the way her long eyelashes kept fluttering.

"Roux, keep an eye out for any strange happenings. Jun. Stop flirting… you can't flirt with a sleeping woman." The master sighed inwardly at his antics.

"Master. Sorry we took so long." New but familiar voices spoke.

"Kyo, Ren. How did it go?" Imogen mustered up a smile. Ren seemed to look at her, not replying, nor registering the fact that Imogen had spoken.

"Hmm?" Ren blinked, seeming to snap out of her stupor, "What were you saying?"

"How was the photo shoot?" the master asked again.

"Ah, you'll see it in a few days." Ren nodded, the Lolita Magazine she worked for sent them over to the guild for free. Jun usually being to one to snatch it up and flick through, while Kyo was the one to snatch it back with a look of disdain towards the local pervert.

"Get any writing done?" she now asked Kyo, who nodded.

"Yeah, finally got over my writers block..." he said softly.

There was a small wail. Maisie looked up at them with hopeful multi-shaded blue eyes.

"Maisie… when Seirei wakes up, you two are going to take care of the guild okay?" Imogen pat the wide eyed girl's hair.

She nodded back.

Imogen stood up, "Ren, Kyo. You two are coming with me."

"Where to… exactly?" Kyo asked, the master rarely called on anyone to follow her. In fact, she barely went out, her being more of a tactician rather than a fighter.

"Scarlet Flame. To see Lionel Avalosi. I heard they want revenge. And Flames… don't they always strike back?" Imogen's eyes glowed.

* * *

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

* * *

**HELLO, HELLO OVER HERE! READDDDD THISSSS THINGGGGGG**

**CREDITS TO Stormhawk99 FOR GRANTING ME PERMISSION TO INCLUDE 'Scarlet Flame' IN MY STORY YOU CAN MAKE AN OC TO JOIN IF YOU WANT (:**

**Scarlet Flame is one of Stormhawk99's stories, so check out his profile! :D**

**And I am so nervous posting this, I'm pretty scared of what you guys think and if you guys like it or not... xD**

**Review and stuffs! Flames are openly accepted!**


	3. REACHING OUT

_**HEY READERS! THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS AND I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER AS WELL XD**_

_**(Although, personally, I think the first chapter may have been better) **_**:|**

* * *

REACHING OUT – JUSTICE BLAZE

* * *

"Hey Kairen! Can you fix the light over here?" A busty woman with a thick honey blonde braid stepped out from behind the bar. Most of her breasts were exposed from her unbuttoned military-like uniform and she seemed even taller than she really was in her white heels.

"For the last time… I'm not going to date you!" Kairen walked over, brushing off another girl that had been attached to his arm. Turning back to Aelstera, he smiled seductively and winked from underneath his ever changing sun glasses, "So, what were you saying?"

"Ugh, wipe that disgusting smile off your face and fix that shitty light already." The girl cracked her knuckles in a menacing manner.

"Alright, alright!" Kairen chuckled as he took a half-eaten plate of food off the counter. His stomach grumbled, "Make me a chilli sandwich though." He added.

Sighing, Aelstera called out loudly, "Oi Master! The shitty brat over here wants a spiced up sandwich!"

"Watch your language in my guild!" a voice shouted back. Dito, the guild master – also the chef – walked out of the kitchen. He was donned in a green ninja suit, the guild mark insignia printed on the beanie he was wearing. He waved a knife around in one hand, causing Aelstera to shrink back slightly.

* * *

There was a loud slam of piano keys and Ryuga stood up, his face flushed red in embarrassment. He flipped up the hood of his yellow hoodie and pushed down his rolled up sleeves – trying to make himself smaller. Behind him, there was an insane cackle.

"Uh-huh, you know what your daddy likes!" the crazy man – Jura sat there in a make-shift bath tub. A rubber duck stuffed into the jumpsuit of his crotch area as he laughed maniacally while rubbing it.

'_Damn girl! That ASS!' _The inner-left voice told him as the man himself eyed one of the laughing women. On the other side of the room, the men were laughing crazily at his insane antics.

Jura reached out and squeezed the nearest curve of the woman and she screamed while slapping his hand away.

'_Tch – now look what you've done, idiot. That was MY ass.' _His inner-right voiceexclaimed.

"SCREW YOU!" the violated girl screamed, sending a blast of magic to his masked face.

"Mhmm, because you would like to be screwed." Jura sent a wink to the now gagging woman as she ran away – probably to the toilets.

"Jura, stop being so disgusting. It's an eyesore." Elly stood up tall in front of him, speaking in her mother-like tone. She'd joined the guild yesterday – courtesy of Ryuga. The two were quite close… so they would say.

Elly wore a business like suit, despite being a trained mage of 'Tae Kwon Do'. She held multiple grocery bags and guild supplies without effort and still managed to stare down Jura with her amber eyes over the stack of new goods, "Plus, shouldn't you be over at Tomb right now?"

"Hmmm and what business do I have there?" he cackled.

"You're a double agent – remember?" she rolled her eyes and sighed.

He stood up for the bath tub, dripping wet and cackled once more, "You suck. Oh wait. Yo mama does too, but she charges." And with that he swaggered out of the guild, the rubber duck still attached to his crotch area, leaving everyone behind, tears rolling down their cheeks from silent laughter.

* * *

'_Eenie meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by its toe, if it hollers, let him go, eenie meenie miney mo.' _Faith put her finger to her chin and tapped her sneaker clad foot. She was trying to choose a mission and had resorted to using the child's song as usual, but the paper that she'd landed on wasn't a job she wanted to do.

There was a soft rustle to her side and she turned to see a blue mop head full of hair. He stood there, shirtless, his ocean blue guild mark shining in all its glory.

"Hey Cloud." The glass mage greeted the muscular boy with a bob of her wild orange hair.

"Hey." He greeted back, turning to the mission board.

"Not flirting like usual?" she asked, fiddling with the scarf that had been looped through the belt holes of her overalls.

"Nope. I need money." He shook his head, his shark tooth necklace swinging along with his movement.

She nodded, "How about this one?" she pointed to the job she'd landed on before. It was near the beach and it suited Cloud's magic well.

"Nice." He said, ripping the job of the board, "See ya later." He waved goodbye and walked toward Aelstera so she could sign him off.

"Having trouble choosing a job again?" Pierce stood beside her, wringing his hands that were clad in surgeon's gloves.

"Yeah." Faith nodded.

"Why don't you sit down and take a break, maybe it'll come to you later." The tall man's glasses reflected into her eyes, causing her to squint up at him.

"Hmmm, I guess so. You know, you'd be a great mum." The girl smiled widely, and then quickly corrected herself at his soft glare, "Umm, I meant dad…"

"Thank you." Pierce nodded, his gun at his belt glinting in the sunlight, "If you need anything, I'll be in the infirmary."

Faith nodded, disobeying Pierce could sometimes end up in a disaster, because if you got injured, the only one who could really heal you was… Pierce.

* * *

'_I'm a little teapot, short and stout, here is my handle –'_

"Stop singing that song, Charles." A man laughed slightly to himself. He was decked out in mostly brown, his white dress shirt contrasting the rest of his clothes.

"Uh, Earthland to Dr. Hammersmith?" The said man jumped up and looked at his underling.

"Ah, Lanius, what brings you here?" he asked.

The iron masked man shrugged and sat down in the opposite chair, "Just relaxing I guess." He muttered to his role model in the midst of yawning.

"Hmm, while you're at it. Tell me what this means." Samuel Hammersmith fished around in his coat pocket for moments before pulling out a scrunched up piece of paper. Small codes were written on it – it looked rushed and messy, probably supposed to be a secret message.

Lanius sighed, he just wanted to sit back and relax for a while, even sleep while he was at it, but it seems decoding the note was more important. Fiddling with the hem of his grey and red striped hoodie, it only took him a matter of minutes to figure it out.

"Oh, this is easy, it's just runes that have been transcribed backwards." He blinked a few times, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

Samuel nodded and started pouring chai tea onto the table, probably for his 'friend' – that no one else could see, "So, what does it say?"

"Someone knows… we need to act faster. 2 weeks maximum. I think they're planning to attack." Lanius spoke monotonously, and then looked up at Hammersmith, who was laughing to himself again, "What do you think that means?"

The doctor continued to laugh and Lanius gave up, switching his position in his chair, he fell back to sleep.

* * *

"Umm, could ya get off me?"

Storm had – once again – landed in another awkward sexual situation. It did indeed look like he was harassing her, and not to mention that the fact he had blood pouring out of his nose didn't help either. Hurriedly clambering off the squirming Kimi, he fixed his light blue jacket and yanked up his baggy black pants up a bit more.

"So fuckin' sorry…" he muttered, wiping his nose and then pasting a carefree grin on his face, "Ah, well, what's done is done."

Kimi stood up, glaring at him slightly, "Yeah, fine. Just don't do it again." She dusted off her black dress, hoping that none of her purple lipstick had been smudged.

"Can't promise you that…" Storm reached up to scratch the back of his head awkwardly, messing up his white hair a little.

"Can't promise what?" a slightly protective voice spoke.

"Ah, Styles. He just tripped and happened to land on me. Nothing much." Kimi looked around Storm and waved at her adoptive brother innocently.

"WHAT?! He touched you?!" Styles burst out.

"C-chill out, it's nothing personal." Storm could feel his blood boiling in his arm, and then it suddenly felt numb.

"**Blood Puppet.**" Styles hissed.

…

"Where's you master?!" someone slammed open the door to Justice Blaze. Everyone turned towards the voice, standing in a defensive manner.

"_Risers_," Styles spoke first, releasing Storm, "What are you doing here?"

"None of your business, where's you master?" Florence asked again as Antonio stood behind her, his exceed – Natasha resting on his shoulder.

"If you need to speak to our master, you have to get through us first." Kairen crossed his arms.

"Everybody, stop." Dito walked out of the kitchen, an apron still wrapped around his waist, "What brings the guild of Rising Willows to ours?"

"Our master – Imogen sent us here." Antonio spoke, his voice like steel.

"Imogen?" Dito raised as eyebrow at his friend's name.

The three from Rising Willows nodded, "We have come to ask for your… assistance in helping us take down Tomb. They've been active recently, and there's no doubt they're planning something."

"I see…" The master stopped to think, "No."

"_Don't just tell them, _convince _them. I know you can do it."_ Imogen's voice rushed through their heads.

"If we don't stop them. Then who will? They're known for their crazy antics! If they want to take over the town. They WILL take over the town. Imagine how many people will lose their homes… their families?" Antonio's face was scrunched up in frustration. Florence pat him on the back, hoping to calm him down a little, whereas Natasha glared at Florence, killing her in her mind for possibly the thousandth time.

"That has nothing to do with us." Dito refused to see the person who looked like his lost lover – I-no most.

"But Justice isn't something you just magically earn. You have to fight for it." Florence gripped her arm to stop herself from shaking in anger.

The guild went silent and dropped their defensives stances. Their heads hung low as they all gave it a moment of thought.

"Please. Even just one of you…" Natasha tried, her red eyes pleading.

"Master… sorry. But. I want to go." Faith walked up to Dito, her hands clasped together in hope, "If we don't protect the towns… then who will?"

"The magic council. Duh." Aelstera snorted.

"But what will they do? Just walk up to Tomb and knock on their door, claiming they'll be arrested _after_ they ruin people's lives?" Styles walked up, Kimi trailing behind him.

"We're in." Kimi flicked a finger between them.

"Never mind that… we're all in!" Storm cracked his knuckles.

* * *

HIGGOUR DARK FOREST

* * *

"Do you think maybe we should split up? It might be faster that way." Uriel commented as Zhaylt led the group.

"Yes. We should split up." Vlad looked at Zhaylt in disgust, obviously hoping to get away from the pervert… who just happened to be reading one of his novels again.

The three of them fell into silence when Zhaylt chose not to answer, and they continued to follow him.

"Shhh." The 'leader' suddenly hissed, holding out a hand to stop them from walking further, "Do you hear that?"

"No." Vlad grunted. He brushed his silver hair out of his eyes, wanting to get away as soon as possible.

Uriel stood there quietly, as if still trying to register what was going on.

The perverse man slowly walked towards the sound of soft mewling, being careful not to step on any twigs or large areas of dry leaves. He took almost five minutes to walk two meters and Vlad and Uriel stood there, their eyebrows raised, waiting for him.

"We only have 24 hours, remember?" Uriel whispered to him, "Hurry up."

Zhaylt disappeared behind the trees and there were hushed whispers and few sentences of yelling before he soon emerged with a new teammate.

"Guys, this is Draco. He's going to be my new exceed." The small green cat fidgeted in the tight grasp of Zhaylt's arms but seemed to be quite excited and happy anyway.

"I can walk you know." Draco said, finally needing fresh air. Sighing, Zhaylt placed him on the ground and the two started talking to each other, bonding and ignoring their small 'audience.'

The two soon figured that it was a waste of time to keep waiting and decided in a silent pact to split up, leaving the mysterious new exceed and the perverse man in the small clearing.

Vlad was relieved to finally be able to do his job. He noticed something before, maybe half an hour ago on the walk to where he'd left the disgusting man. Now he had his chance to finally investigate it.

"**Eyes of the deceased.**" He murmured. His vision changed and he could now see wisps of smoke and fog everywhere. Souls floated around, suddenly turning to start at him, feeling the presence of his magic. They came up to him, trying to speak to him, but he ignored them. It was no time to stop and converse until he found the 'missing piece'.

As he kept running, dodging tree roots, small animals and ducking under vines, he spotted a figure growing larger with each step he took. Its presence was strong, powerful. It was one of a wise being.

Although he could tell it was still far away, it didn't seem to be moving, like it knew he was coming, and that he was going to wait.

"**Whispers of the dead.**" The surrounding sounds changed and everything became a chatter of mixed voices. Some screaming, shouting, some were crying. There were so many voices, countless maybe. This forest was a grave for the deceased and lost souls almost.

"Why are you here?" a loud, booming voice growled.

"To investigate." Vlad spoke back, "Regarding the dark guild, has anything suspicious happened recently?"

"That is none of your business. I'd advise you leave before you are caught. I am the king of this forest, I watch over everything. You little friends could be in trouble any moment now." The voice faded away near the end, disappearing from the sights of Vlad's magic.

Vlad stood there in silence. Nothing. He'd gained nothing but the fact someone could be in trouble right now.

* * *

Uriel ran quickly, the trees rushing past her in a blur. Her head ached as she memorized as much as she could about the patterns and routes she found in the forest. It wasn't an easy task and she hoped that she could remember the way back.

She mentally calculated how much time there was left until they were told to meet back at the guild. Honestly - she didn't want to let the guild down, failing to complete her first job as a mage at Rising Willows properly.

Her legs ached and she could feel her magic draining faster as she reached a particular point in the forest. It's surroundings were different and Uriel felt a chill run down her spine. Unconsciously, she wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, as if it were her protection.

Blood was rushing through her body in anxiety. The trees surrounding her almost seemed to be talking in hollow whispers as the wind rush past. She could no longer hear the trickle of the waterfall she'd found earlier, and everything seemed to be closing around her.

Her vision became blurry as purple mist started to surround her, and she caught sight of a pair of green eyes. They looked at her sharply, almost as if piercing through her body.

The person seemed to walk closer, the light shining onto him. He wore black leather, his duster open to reveal a guild mark on his chest.

He smiled sadistically. The tattooed fangs beneath his eyes started to stretch down, past his cheeks and further down to his neck.

"Who are you…" she managed to whisper.

He kept walking towards her, "Well, if you must know… people like to call me… Valex."

* * *

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

* * *

**Yay! This chapter is finally finished! I know it took longer than expected, so I'm sorry about that :/**

**Also, my friend LinkMaster997 has also created an OC story, so feel free to check it out and create someone special for him!**

**Review! Etc. **


	4. EVIL SCHEMES

**Yay! I updated (almost) on time (it was supposed to be Wednesday). Go me! :3 (I know this is sounds really bad, but computer just HAD to screw up and I had to wait for it to be fixed :/)**

_**!- On Fiction Press, there is a story called 'Pandemonium' by Reaper of Books and I suggest you go to that story and hit that follow and fave button. Also send in an OC cause he's in need of some. ;) **_

_**Also, there is a SnK story by CaptSpeed needing a FEW more OC's. Submit them quickly, or all opportunities might run out.-!**_

**I'll probably be updating every week or so, so please go easy on me XD  
And anyone wondering about the little nursery rhymes in the last chapter – it is part of that person's character. Dr. Hammersmith is basically an insane man and Faith uses that song to help her decide on things to pick out.**

* * *

EVIL SCHEMES – TOMB

* * *

"That's it! I am so bored!" Sonya slammed her hands down onto the bar table and stood up abruptly, her breasts almost falling out of her skin tight green and black corset, roses scattered all over it. She had a childish pout on her face and looked around the guild curiously.

"Why don't you go on a job then?" Bluebell suggested. She was currently in her happy-go-lucky mode and was working at the bar joyously. Her long, silky blue hair was pinned to the left with her usual star shaped clips.

"This one doesn't sound too bad, why don't you take someone with you?" Hozanna came up behind Sonya and held out a tattered piece of paper. She wore a strapless sundress which looked like it had been inspired by the autumn season, its reds, oranges and gold all blindingly bright in its swirling flower patterns.

Although younger than Sonya, Zanna often acted as the older sister in the guild and went around taking up odd jobs within the premises, whether it be picking a job for someone, or helping out in the bar when it became busy.

"Hmmm…" Sonya took a peek at the job request then faced the rest of the guild once more, "Kellan! Go on a job with me!" she quickly decided.

"Ah… that's not really a good idea…" Bluebell pointed out as the said boy looked up from his cookies and glared slightly, yet looked like he was about to run away at any given moment.

"Why not?" Sonya pouted again, pushing her well-developed curves into Bluebell's face.

"Because. He hasn't eaten a fallen star for almost a year now. They're pretty rare if you ask me." Zanna shrugged and sat down as Bluebell placed a mug of squash in front of her.

The three girls looked back over to where Kellan had been sitting before, but the green eyed Nova Dragon Slayer had long disappeared, taking his trusty exceed – Razor with him.

"How about Snow then?" Zanna pointed to the other side of the guild, where the quiet girl sat.

The thin girl had her sapphire blue eyes wide open in anticipation, flicking to and fro as she read the thick fantasy novel open in front of her. She seemed quite oblivious to her surroundings, but looked up when she heard her name.

"What…" she said, rather cold. But the three girls at the bar knew otherwise.

"Want to go on a job with Sonya?" Bluebell asked.

"No." she turned back to keep reading her book, but caught a glimpse of Bluebell's famous puppy dog eyes. She sighed, snapping her book shut and standing up to dust off her navy blue plaid skirt, "Fine. I give in."

Sonya and Snow walked out of the guild, the latter with a bounce in her step.

* * *

"**Light Dragons Roar!**" the guild doors were shattered to pieces as a tall figure stood there, in attack stance. She was dressed in all black, and a grey jacket, her signature silver cross hanging off her neck.

"Jeez, that's the sixth door you've broken…" Eki muttered under his breath, his yellow hawk eyes glaring at the girl – Carmyn from his spot next to the master at the far side of the guild. No doubt the master would be quite agitated later on and force someone to fix the door…

"CARMYN KILLAKILL! How many times have I_ told_ you to walk through the door instead of breaking it down?!" Funbo was seething. He stormed towards their guild spy and got right up in her face.

"It was in my way." She glared at the master with her usual intimidating black eyes, faking a yawn and shrugging nonchalantly, "Anyway, did you get the message I sent?"

"Stop being a tease!" Eki hissed from behind Funbo, "And what message?" he then asked the spy.

"Tch. Why don't you go fix the door then." She rolled her eyes and walked off, a cheeky smile on her face. Boy did she love annoying people. She suddenly stopped and looked back, "And the coded one. The one to do with the other guilds knowing."

The master fixed his white jesters hat and looked at Eki suspiciously. The purple and orange dressed brute stared back in the same manner, if they didn't have the message… then who did?

"RAIDEN! Fix the door." Funbo looked away, growling. He walked away briskly into his office and slammed the door, a few cracks appearing in the wall around it.

Eki looked at Raiden in distaste as the said white haired mage walked past him from his spot outside, protecting the guild from harm. His outfit consisted of black and white and the guild insignia was printed on the back of his jacket.

Raiden ignored the pointed glare and quietly began to fix the door, leaving everyone to go back to their own thing.

"He's so dreamy, don't you think?" Bluebell leant against the bar top.

"Tch… that's gross." The usually quiet Jonah snorted, scratching the head of an azure eyed wolf.

"It's understandable. You're my brother." She rolled her eyes and flicked him in the nose.

He glared at his adoptive sister with crimson red eyes as his sickly pale hand reached up to rub his sore nose. Standing up, he stalked off to the corner of the guild, turning back into his lonely loner self, his shaggy silver hair flopping over to cover his eyes.

Raiden fixed the door carefully, his fingers swiftly avoiding all the splinters in the wooden planks. His muscled bulged out of his sleeveless black jacket, revealing many of his scars, big or small. Occasionally, his eyes would flick over to the forest, looking to see if anyone was passing by, anyone that he would put on his... 'enemy' list. Seeing no one, he sighed inwardly and finally let his thoughts wander.

_'Man, I wish I had some apples right now.'_

* * *

Heavy footsteps entered the guild, along with a loud thud as something was dropped to the ground. A small, croaky gasp followed and a few people looked up to see what was going on.

_-Flashback-_

"_Well if you must know… people like to call me…Valex." The boy hissed and smiled sinisterly._

_The purple mist had now affected the small girl and she was on the ground, gasping for air and desperately trying to call out, digging her fingers into the damp soil and leaves of the forest floor._

"_**Illusion Night – **__"he paused mid-spell. The girl lay there, on the verge of passing out, whimpering softly in pain. Was she this deluded? He hadn't even attacked her yet. _

_Sighing, he swiftly picked her up and roughly threw her over his shoulder. Someone would deal with her at the guild._

_-End-_

Valex eyed each member in the guild, they either ignored him, or looked away. But one person looked him straight back in the eye. Her eyes were caked with dark makeup around it and her hair was up in two frizzy pigtails, her bright and outrageous coloured hair held up by skull pins.

Turning away, he walked off, leaving the unknown girl on the floor.

Quietly, Clover stood up, a small pitying smile on her face, and walked towards the charcoal haired teen. Everybody else pretended like nothing was going on, and kept to themselves, minding their own business. Pretty much everyone in the guild was insane anyway.

Kneeling down next to her, she softly brushed her hair out of her eyes as her hands began to glow, spheres of light surrounding it.

She gently began to try and heal the mysterious girl, trying to find out why the girl was in a weakened state. Clover's eyes trailed over her figure, searching for wounds. Her eyes eventually landed on her upturned wrist. There in plain sight, was a Rising Willows insignia.

Clover almost jumped back, unsure if she was now doing the right thing. But she forced herself to stay calm, and continue to heal the girl instead of becoming fearful and ruining the healing procedure. She moved her hands toward her head. She could tell it had been damaged in some sort of way, but it was something that had to be tended to straight after the incident, so any chance of recovery was long gone.

She sighed, picking up the girl and walking out of the guild. The stares of others were starting to get to her. She needed some piece and quiet... not only that, but she had questions. Questions that needed answers.

* * *

Sharp dark blue eyes glinted. He saw everything from his position behind the thick book. He saw the glares at one another, the pitying looks at the weakling of a girl, he saw it all. No wonder why he was the smartest in the room. He was one hell of a villain, and villains were always the smartest. People disgusted him… but of course, people are weaker than demons.

Yin seemed like and innocent, likeable man. His thin build and pale complexion deemed handsome towards the fairer gender. He dressed quite casually, a simple white t-shirt and skinny jeans. Not a maniacal killer… nope. Not a maniac at all.

His eyes now flicked over to the other side of the guild, where an overly dressed man sat daydreaming in a chair. The well-tailored man suddenly jumped up, his silver walking cane clattering to the floor and his top hat falling from his crown. He then promptly scribbled into his trusty puzzle book, his hand almost snapping the pen in half with his vice grip.

Honestly, no one was too sure whether to trust this man, Sinclair 'The Spectre' as they say. He was once the leader of the Rune knights, meaning a connection to the magic council. You could never be too sure. He's backstory seemed evil and acceptable, but was it really true?

Sinclair could feel the piercing, judgemental eyes staring at him, but of course chose to ignore it. He continued his crossword, scribbling out letters every now and then, leaving scratchy marks on the weathered, thin paper.

Sighing, his face turned into a frown and he snapped his book shut, placing the pen into the pocket of his tuxedo and swiftly teleported to the doors of the guild and walked out. It was a rather grand exit, instead of a grand entrance.

Outside, he bumped into a tall, blond man - Jura. He carried a large sack, most likely to contain a fair amount of jewels from his most recent mission. The man was often out on missions and was rarely in the guild. He was one of the 'insane' people and sometimes is found snooping around, whispering crazy things about obscene topics.

"... Ryuga along, this sucks." The man muttered, "Ah, at least Tomb has some hot babes."

Sinclair looked at the man questionably as he brushed past the other mage quickly, not wanting to be caught in the moment. Something was wrong with the man, and it wasn't just his 'horrible' jokes.

"Milk." Sinclair stopped at the voice, "No. It's cow booby juice." Jura cracked up at his 'realisation' and walked into the guild, scratching his ass and leaving a... disgusted tactician behind.

* * *

The sound of an explosion rung through the air as a small girl ran out of the room bare foot, smoke wafting out after her as she coughed away, thumping on her chest to get all the toxins out, while using the other hand to wave the smoke away from her face.

Two large horns that pointed towards the roof protruded from her head, which was covered in long, silky stranded of orchid hair.

"Ah! Sorry!" She exclaimed, a cute, childish smile brushing over her features. She straightened up her specially altered lab coat, now donning a red trim, and walked back into the dark room, trying not to suffocate, to try and save her experiment.

Satsuki soon again, exited the lab room - built just for her - with her eyes glued to a book. She muttered about failing yet another test and how she'd tried about twenty odd methods. She then widened her eyes, her guild mark on her forehead creasing up. She kept muttering, this time saying something like needing more human bones and bat's blood.

She skipped out her the guild, her book tucked safely in her arms. Her smile had become one of a devil's as she left. The weaker of the guild shuddered at her expression. At least she had the common courtesy of slaughtering someone outside of the guild doors... hopefully it would be somewhere deep inside the forest, where the 'left overs' could be kept hidden.

"A girl, or a boy? Hmm, maybe both?" she whispered to herself, barely audible. She jumped over tree roots as they twisted across the terrain, her thoughts focused on the experiment at hand. She suddenly summoned a large book and jumped onto it flying swiftly through the trees as she searched for any lost wanderers within the forest grounds. She finally spotted a figure up ahead and licked her lips, "Who's next?" she sung, re-quipping into her Ox Knuckles.

"**Twelve Death Dance**." she whispered softly, jumping off the book and launching an uppercut to the figure.

She found herself unable to move, a finger-less gloved hand wrapped around her wrist.

The man gave her a glare filled with a thousand daggers as she almost stuttered going back into her sweet demeanor, "Helth. Sorry."

He grunted and let go of her now bruising wrist. She rubbed it, killing him her her mind, but smiling and nodding on the outside.

The S-class mage started walking in the direction Satsuki had came from, his brown combat boots crushing the small twigs with each step. His eyes were ones that could rival a foxes. They were cunning, and seemed to be plotting some dark evil plan almost all the time.

He was a man of the guild you would stay away from. At least he kept it that way.

* * *

Trapis sat on a bench in the nearest town from the forest. He stretched his sore neck, moving it from side to side, causing his blood red hair, with white highlights to shift and reveal his red guild mark. The townsfolk looked at him fearfully, scampering away, trying not to make eye contact.

The guild master - Funbo, had some times caused havoc in the town, claiming it was 'a fun thing to do'. He flipped over business stalls, stole money from the citizens and a fear for the dark guild was grown. Usually by now a mage would be called on to deal with it... but no reply or interest was ever received.

The man himself was quite strong, not mention, often seen with a quaint look on his face. He'd obtained a high bounty in the past, and the Rune Knights were often searching for him. He stood out quite clearly, with his... eccentric dress style, compared to the people of the town. Not to mention, his over sized white hoodie had the guild insignia of Tomb printed on it, which stuck out like a sore thumb.

Trapis was bored of sitting there, watching people run away at the first sight of him. Nothing was ever interesting, the town was plain, the people - even more bland. He wanted some fun. A fight maybe, because watching people run like chickens was making him berserk... he just needed a strong opponent after all.

Something then caught his eye. His guild mate and his little exceed. Now there was a good fight.

_'Ah, but. He's_ weak _at the moment.' _A voice reminded him. He shrugged it off. If the man really aimed to be the strongest dragon slayer, he ought to be ready to fight, no matter of the circumstances.

He slowly stood up, causing the people closest to him to jump and move away, almost bowing to him in hope that he wouldn't hurt them.

Kellan turned, sensing the magic aura growing. His green eyes flashed as he grinned, a small fang sticking out from his lip. The smile was almost... sadistic.

The Nova Dragon Slayer really did want to stay and fight, but right now, he had a falling star to catch. He turned to run but stopped at the thought of catching to train to get to the town. The one that was 6 hours away. Stars and possibly catching the train 5 times... or a fight and possibly losing?

* * *

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

* * *

**OK... HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER XD  
It's not that great because everything was deleted and I had to rewrite it... but yep! Review and stuffs ahah**


	5. STARTING POINT

**So school has started again, and I'm in quite a few extra-curricular activities (TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS AND THE ODD WEEKEND HERE AND THERE), so if there are any late updates, I apologize (all of them are probably going to be late anyway… ehehe) so it's probably around Thursday to Sunday updates. (MAYBE, I HAVE NO CLUE MYSELF). I might change update to every two to three weeks rather than one.**

**Ahaha, I'm not a very reliable authoress am I? :/**

**Also, if you PM me, I might not reply (it sounds rude, I know) but sometimes I don't see it, or I don't really know how to reply if your question is going to be answered in the next chapter…**

**I'll try not to have extremely long authors notes anymore after this – I just felt the need to explain myself, so without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter :) :P**

* * *

STARTING POINT

**.**

_~ 'Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.' ~ ((([John Dewey])))_

* * *

"This should probably do…" Keylian muttered, looking from one shelf to another, slightly bewildered at the hundred odd medical supplies on each different shelf. The one he was standing in front of was almost empty, him having swiped all the bandages clean off the shelf and into the basket he'd placed on the floor.

Iris was scanning through different herbs, her usually long sleeves bunched up at her elbows to pick up bundles and smell the medicinal plants. She dropped another herb into the small basket she was holding.

Honestly, neither of them really knew what Imogen had meant by getting medical supplies, and had walked into the store thinking about buying the whole building itself, but of course, Imogen would be mad about the debt and all of the paperwork.

They'd been having a telepathic conversation with the master, but the connection had suddenly cut off when she'd said she was unable to use magic in the current town they'd arrived at. So now they were at a loss of which supplies would be what the master was asking for, and which weren't.

Iris' knowledge in healing was slim, she'd read many books on healing and the uses of before, but the topic wasn't really her forte, so most of it was forgotten.

"Uh, was there anything in particular you were looking for?" the shop keeper gulped and finally managed to ask.

The two weren't exactly intimidating, but they were in such deep thought it was almost scary.

"It depends if you know what we would need for war." The grey haired mage said sarcastically, but it came out blunt.

The shop keeper held back a shiver as he slowly backed away.

"Never mind…" Iris walked up to the counter with a small friendly smile, "We'll take these."

She placed the two baskets of herbs and bandages on the counter.

"We really need someone running the infirmary." She then muttered, pulling out a pouch full of jewels.

"That would be 14,000J." The shop keeper looked at the two expectantly, his hand outstretched, as if restraining itself to not reach out any further and snap up the goods that Iris was clutching onto.

"Actually, it would be 9,000J." Iris's shy demeanour changed slightly, she pointed to the bandages, "That's only 3,000J for all of them, and the herbs are only 6,000J. They're not rare, although its healing properties are useful, you could find them anywhere if you travel far enough out of the city."

Behind her, Keylian nodded, the herbs really could be found anywhere. He'd see them often on his explorations and bandages shouldn't really cost too much. They were made from cheap materials after all.

The two walked out with a successful bargain, and they split up soon after, Keylian leaving to explore and Iris returning back to the guild with the bought goods.

* * *

Imogen strode purposefully through Carnelian town as Ren and Kyo tailed behind her, Ren resting on Kyo's back since she was tired.

The three were just a town away from Scarlet Flame, having taken an express train.

Imogen has secretly kept checking in on the other guild members while Rena and Kyo had slept on the train, but she couldn't now.

Carnelian town had a particular disgust towards mages. Their town looked up to the Republic Council rather than the Magic one. They relied on rules and laws instead of the special, powerful resources of those mages around them, in truth though, whenever something would happen, the Republicans would call over mages at night, leaving townsfolk to think they were safe in the hands of them, and them only.

"Are we there yet?" Ren almost whined. She chewed on the stick from the lollipop she'd finished ten minutes ago, "I'm tired."

"Not really… We have to pass through Tandral forest to reach the City of Savant." Imogen breathed out, something was nagging at her in the back of her mind, but it wasn't wise to check up on everyone while stuck in the busy streets of the 'anti-mage' town.

Kyo felt bare without his rings on his fingers. He'd had to take them off on the train since they were quite obvious and one look at them would tell you that they were for a mage.

Imogen suddenly sped up her pace and Kyo's long legs stretched out to follow. Their master was on edge and had been since entering the town.

The streets soon became quieter and more deserted, nearing the edge of the town. Less people wandered near the area, it being more 'controlled' in the centre of it all, where hidden lacrima made the Republicans able to see the happenings of the town.

As soon as the green haired master stepped foot onto the earthy ground, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately, she checked in on her family.

She saw quick flashes of everyone, what they were doing, where they were. Nothing really seemed out of place until she saw Uriel alone with an unknown person towering over her. She strained to see more, but the image disappeared, her magic fading out.

Her mind was buzzing as her eyes glowed gold once more, but this time, stayed like that. She found a link towards a particular mage and scoped in to depict her in her mind.

"_Maisie?" _she called telepathically, her voice faint from the distance between the two.

"_Master!" _the small girl quickly replied, not really surprised.

"_I have a mission for you."_

"_Does it include destroying things?"_

"_Depends on what you have to do."_ Imogen smirked inwardly, sometimes Maisie could just be not –so –innocent as she seemed.

"_Okay!"_

"_Go find Uriel."_ She told her simply, Maisie was smart enough to understand, _"And tell Seirei, Roux and Jun to leave the guild to the others if they're bored. Shuu should almost be back from her mission anyway."_

"_Roger that!"_ the small, pigtailed girl giggled and she blocked off the access to her link.

Ren and Kyo looked at her expectantly, waiting for her.

"Let's go." She smiled, the weight off her shoulders. She knew she could rely on Maisie.

The three trudged into the forest, a damp smell beginning to lurk around their noses.

They walked for a long time, nothing interesting to really pass by. Ren had fallen soundly asleep on Kyo's back, listening to the soft beats of his heart. The two mages continued on in a peaceful silence, neither willing to break it or wake Ren up.

Suddenly, Imogen, who was leading, walked into something and stumbled back, her hands flying up to nurse her throbbing head.

Kyo jerked carefully to a stop, worried that Ren would wake up. Checking to hear if her breathing was still even, the lilac haired mage turned the guild master.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Fine, fine… looks like Lionel put up a rune barrier. **Neutralise**." She placed one of her hands against the invisible force and closed her eyes.

Imogen linked the runes to her mind, her gears turning to find codes, mechanisms, and the works of the whole magic. This was something she was useful at as an Insight mage. She could find out how the magic was generated and work through all the itty bitty details to make them disappear. Her head was still in pain, but she pushed past it, her brow furrowed.

After a long time of Kyo holding his breath, he finally saw Imogen's hand start to move forward, as if pushing the runes back so they could keep walking. He started to breathe normally again.

A light cleared at the end of the forest, the forest ground changing into a rustic brick road. Up ahead, a grand building stood tall. The stone walls looked sharp, the red tapestry with the guild insignia standing out brightly against the grey of the stone.

The three walked in to the large hall, just as grand as the outside. Immediately, a tall, violet eyed man walked up to the three guests.

"Lionel, it's nice to see you again." Imogen reached out and gave his hand a friendly shake. His hand was twice the size of hers and he shook it daintily, afraid it would snap.

"Imogen, beautiful as always." He greeted back.

"I see the guild is quite lively today." She nodded her head towards the pool out on the deck, behind the bar.

Ren suddenly woke up, almost falling of Kyo's back, but she caught herself.

"Hmm? Are we here now?" she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Ren, you're finally up." Kyo placed her back on the ground and gave her head a soft pat, making the part time Lolita model blush profusely.

"Kyo, Ren, hi. I'm Lionel Avalosi, Guild master of Scarlet Flame. Feel free to look around. Imogen and I need to chat."

* * *

"Imogen says that Jun can leave." Maisie tapped the pervert on the shoulder, "Roux too."

The grey haired mage nodded and patted the small girl on the head as she glared at him and looked away timidly. He smirked slightly and watched her run off as he himself walked away, taking another bite from his tempura prawns.

Maisie left a messy note on the table for Seirei and giggled happily, patting Nyx on the head to make sure the tiger followed before running out of the guild.

On the way out she bumped into Roux, who was sleeping peacefully. She cocked her head at him as she lifted up her hand.

"**Snowball**." She whispered before promptly chucking the ball of hardened snow at the storm mage's face. She jumped onto Nyx who quickly sprinted away, a chuckle escaping her lips at the sight of her spluttering brother-like figure.

As she reached the train station, everyone smiled and waved at her cheerfully. The pair weaved through the passengers and reached the ticket booth safely, the crowd almost parting at her arrival.

"Maiz, where ya off to today?" the booth officer asked, leaning over the counter to face the small girl.

"Mmm… a forest. Two tickets to Tourmaline City please."

"Aren't forests a dangerous place?" He asked worriedly as he handed her the ticket anyway.

"Hmmm…" Maisie merely shrugged as she paid her fee and hurried for the train that had just arrived, "Come on Nyx, time to kick some butt." She whispered.

'It's always time to kick butt.' Nyx meowed back, causing the latter to laugh and pet her partner affectionately.

Back at the guild, Roux finally got the stinging in his eyes to go away, his face sore from the harsh impact of the snow. Damn Maisie was cheekier than she seemed. He stood up and grimaced at his wet hair, making him look like drowned rat.

"Ugh. It's you." Roux heard as he walked into the guild with a stifled yawn. He immediately glared at Jun's comment, just hearing his voice made him pissed.

"Ugh. It's you." The teal haired boy imitated.

"Ugh, it's the animal."

"Ugh, your name sounds like you're someone's time of the month."

"Shut up with all the 'UGH's! You're not a bunch of girls." a voice cut in. Seirei rose from her sleeping position and rubbed her eyes. Groaning softly, she continued, "And Roux, don't joke about that or I'll kill you while I'm on mine. Plus, that not even how a woman's cycle works."

Roux grunted as Seirei managed to talk so nonchalantly yet in a joking manner about such an embarrassing topic. Did this girl have no shame? Oh, but then again, he'd brought up the subject first.

"Whatever." he muttered.

"Hmm… that reminds me. Rena," Jun winked and called the girl by her nickname, "wanna go out on a date? Maisie said we were free to go." He trailed off in a sing song voice.

Seirei raised an eyebrow and slapped him hard across the cheek, "I'm leaving." She announced and strode out of the guild hall in high hopes of catching the first train to her favourite place.

"Tch. I'm going to the dorms." Roux stalked out after the girl, leaving Jun alone with the few other lazy strays of the guild.

Jun growled slightly and marched out the door as well. At least the girls in town were decent enough.

* * *

The two had been fighting non-stop for two whole hours now, and Kellan was inwardly proud he could hold up this long.

"**Nova Dragon's Roar**." Kellan managed to breathe out as he managed to dodge Trapis' punch.

The blast of magic hit the berserk man square in the face and he flew back, causing people to scream and flee from the bulky mage. For a moment, Trapis lay still, causing Kellan to smirk triumphantly. But the smirk fell as his opponent stood back up, wiping blood from his mouth and spitting onto the pavement.

"Is that all you got?" Trapis cackled, sprinting forward to connect his fist with Kellan's jaw. He spat again, "Now we're even."

The Nova Dragon Slayer sniffed attentively, his instincts flashing warning signs in his brain as he smelt his beloved fallen star mixed with another person's scent.

"Alright, who the hell is going near _my_ star?" he muttered to himself before bolting towards the train. He didn't even stop once to think about the consequences.

He ran onto the train Razor hot on his tail, the ticket inspector yelling at him as the doors closed. The train sped off into the distance as the green eyed mage fell onto the floor, his face slowly turning into the colour of his eyes. His exceed immediately went to comfort him, patting him on the back but laughing at the same time.

The vehicle went over bumps and rough tracks, it having been an express train they'd hopped onto, the train show no signs of slowing down.

"Save me…" he grumbled, letting go of his pride as his spirit drifted up into the air. No doubt was this going to be a long ride.

* * *

Faith climbed a tall tree nearby her guild, her hazel eyes wide as she looked across the land, colourful building tops and splashes of green everywhere. The view was always the best from this particular tree. She sighed contentedly as a bird flittered into the depths of the tree and landed in her unruly hair.

"I really don't think I'll be that good of a nest." She joked softly to the creature. She created a small glass reflection in front of her to be able to see the bird. The winged animal cocked its head her, as if telling Faith sit had no idea what she was saying.

The glass mage laughed, almost dropping her make shift mirror onto a possible passer-by which could have walked under the branch she was sitting on. Unfortunately, she slipped while reaching out to catch the slate of glass and the bird flew away fervently.

"Whoa…" she gasped as she tumbled down, small leaves and twigs getting caught in her hair. She managed to balance herself and push herself away from any incoming branches, twisting and turning to avoid them.

She eventually fell out of the leafy cover and out into the open air.

"WATCH OUT!" she squeaked at the unsuspecting stranger.

The person looked up with unblinking onyx eyes as he spread out his arms and caught the girl with ease.

"You, uh, really didn't have to do that. And I think you can put me down now." She seemed to drown in his eyes for a moment before quickly diverting her attention away to the cracks in the pavement.

When she was finally safe on the ground again, she let out a breath, "I'm so sorry." She bowed down to the handsome boy in front of her.

As she rose, her eyes caught sight of something very interesting, "You're a Riser? What kind of magic do you have? Oh, I'm Faith by the way. A mage too! But I'm from Justice Blaze." She pointed down to her ankle.

"I'm Keylian." He murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. His eyes trailed down her body to look at the guild mark she was pointing at.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Keylian." She blushed slightly, awed at how easily his name rolled off her tongue.

Keylian smiled slightly, fixing his black muffler, "I guess I could say the same… if you hadn't fallen from a tree."

* * *

A burgundy haired mage stood in front of the guild doors. She'd just come back from her two week mission over in the mountains. It seemed abnormally quiet inside and she was surprised that there were no chairs, tables or people flying through the doors.

Sighing, she fixed her blue sleeveless jacket at pushed open the oak entrance.

"I'm home!" she said, opening her eyes to see a lone figure standing there.

"Oh, Shuu… welcome back." Iris bent down to pick up yet another bandage roll she'd dropped.

"Where the hell is everyone!?"

* * *

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

* * *

**So, hope you like it… also, please actually tell me if I'm making your characters too OOC xD.**

**Welp! It's almost 3 a.m over here! So night/morning all :)**


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